ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Four employees of a Long Island group home have been fired and were charged Thursday with criminal endangerment, accused of encouraging one disabled resident to attack another resident, according to authorities.

All four, who worked at a center run by Independent Group Home Living Program, face felony charges. Three pleaded not guilty and were scheduled to return to court in a month with bail set at $10,000. A bench warrant was issued for the fourth defendant who didn't appear, a Southampton Town Justice Court clerk said.

State authorities said Southampton police obtained a cellphone video of the attack after it was first reported to the state's Justice Center hotline. They said the four defendants can all be seen or heard laughing.

Arraigned Thursday were Erin McHenry, 28, of Brookhaven; Justin McDonald, 19, of Lindenhurst; and Stephen Komara, 58, of East Moriches, authorities said. A warrant was issued for Rosemary Vanni, 44, of Eastport.

Independent Group Home Living said it was outraged, fired the accused, was cooperating with police and had notified the families of the residents involved. The nonprofit state contractor, which operates several group homes on Long Island, said it supports "a vigorous prosecution."

Prosecutor Patricia Gunning said the arrests should serve as a warning that the center won't hesitate to prosecute behavior "that violates, endangers or causes injuries" to the estimated 1 million disabled New Yorkers in residences and group homes that it was established last summer to protect.

The center recently reported logging more than 41,000 calls to its 24-hour hotline staffed by investigators from the June 30 opening through mid-December. Center officials have declined to say how many of those have been referred to police or for criminal investigations by its own staff and by Gunning, its special prosecutor.

All four defendants face two counts of endangering the welfare of a physically disabled person, punishable by up to four years in prison.

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Billionaire investment banker Howard Lutnick is suing a town planning board in the Hamptons for $20 million after members denied his request to build a barn on his property, 27 East's Michael Wright reports.

The Cantor Fitzgerald CEO bought his property for $15 million in 2003. In 2007, he asked permission to build a 11,200-square-foot barn on the property, but was twice denied by the Southampton Town Planning Board.

The board said Lutnick could build a 2,400-square foot barn if he removes the baseball field and playground he currently has built in his back yard, according to the report. From 27 East:

The lawsuit that attorneys for Mr. Lutnick filed in response stands out amid the parade of such legal challenges to other decisions made by the Planning Board in that it lists all seven members of the board, as well as the 17 members of the town’s Agricultural Advisory Committee, as defendants, individually. The suit, which seeks $20 million in damages, implies that the individual members of both boards should be held personally responsible for the losses incurred by the plaintiff and applicant.

The town attorney told 27 East that members would be indemnified against legal costs and that the lawsuit was an attempt to intimidate members to change their minds about Lutnick's barn.

Read the full report at 27 East »

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With spring on the horizon, it's time to start gearing up for the upcoming Hamptons season.

Summer rentals go fast, so it's always best to look early and look often.

We scanned Sotheby's, Brown Harris Stevens, and Corcoran to find the greatest Memorial Day to Labor Day rentals currently on the market at every price point.

For $15,000, you can stay in this 1920s three bedroom for the summer.

Located in New Suffolk, it's a little out of the way. But with 1,400 square feet, an outdoor patio with grill, and walking distance to the beach, it's worth it.

Photo: Corcoran Real Estate Group

This Amagansett rental could be yours for under $20,000.

The $18,000 one-bedroom has an upstairs deck and grill, plus a garden.

Photo: Brown Harris Stevens

$30,000 for the summer gets you this four-bedroom Southampton home.

It has a pool, large sunny kitchen, and it's close to the village and beaches.

Photo: Brown Harris Stevens

The Hamptons summer season stretches just 14 weeks from Memorial Day to Labor Day, but renters can spend some serious dough in that brief period.

While many Hamptons rentals cost six figures or more for a summer, some take it to another level.

This home, a 12-bedroom Southampton estate on 10 acres with an indoor pool and grass tennis court, is one example.

It was initially listed for $1.3 million for Memorial Day to Labor Day, making it the priciest rental out east. But even with a price cut to $950,000, it's still one of the most expensive Hamptons houses still available. Michaela Keszler at Douglas Elliman is handling the rental.

This $950/summer rental sits on 10 acres in Southampton Village, the oldest English settlement in the state of New York.

The house has 18,000 square feet of space.

It was originally built in 1915, but recently underwent extensive interior renovations.

In 2011, hedge fund titan David Tepper famously bought a $43.5 million oceanfront mansion in Sagaponack — and promptly tore it down so he could build one twice the size.

Now, three years later, construction on the project is nearly finished. At this rate, Tepper could be in his new home by the start of the Hamptons summer season.

Aerial photographer Jeff Cully at EEFAS recently flew by the beachfront estate on Gibson Lane and took some great photos of the construction site, which he shared with Business Insider. In addition to a massive pool, it looks like the home will have two hot tubs, a backyard fountain, gazebo, and tennis court.It appears that Tepper also benefitted from Southampton's $26 million beach nourishment project, a major effort to protect the waterfront and the homes located along it. Note the three zig-zagging fences on the beach in front of the home, which are part of the plan to redevelop dunes in the area.Construction of the estate has been a massive undertaking. Here's what it looked like in January 2013: And this is what the construction pit looked like in March 2012, a year after Tepper tore down the home that once stood there:
This was the 6,000-square-foot home Tepper tore down. It wasn't too shabby:

SEE ALSO: The Best Hamptons Mansions At Every Price Point

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Billy Joel is having an impossible time selling his beautiful Hamptons home. The Piano Man just reduced the price on it from $23.5 million to a mere $22.9 million, Curbed reports.

This isn't the first time Joel's Sagaponack house has been on the market. In 2009, the price was cut from $22.9 million to $16.75 million before it was relisted. The home resurfaced again last November.

The house includes a beachfront view, piano room, and a separate studio situated in the fifth most expensive zip code in the country.

You can see the full listing here. 

This is the view as you enter through the wooden gate.

You can gaze off the patio and look at your 145 feet of oceanfront property.

The home has classic Hamptons shingles.

The weather might feel miserable right now, but it's spring and that means the fairways will begin to turn green and golf season will be start.

Golf is one of the favorite hobbies of the Wall Street crowd, and when it comes to where they play, they'll accept only the best.

We have compiled a list of some of the courses where the biggest heavy-hitters on Wall Street like to play. 

Blind Brook (Purchase, New York)

Wall Streeters Who Have Played There: Lloyd Blankfein, James Gorman, Stanley Druckenmiller, Jimmy Lee and Jimmy Dunne III.

Location: Purchase, New York

About: It's a private, members-only golf club that was established in 1915. The course features 18 holes, 6,385 yards and a par of 72.

Course Designer(s): Charles Blair Macdonald and Seth Raynor

Source: GolfLink.com, Source: GHIN.com, Source: Golf Slope

Sebonack Golf Club (Southampton, New York)

Wall Streeters Who Have Played There: Lloyd Blankfein, Gary Cohn, Feroz Dewan (Tiger Global), Daniel Och, Henry Kravis, Jimmy Dunne III (Sandler O'Neill) and Bob Prince (Bridgewater Associates). 

Location: Southampton, New York

About: The gorgeous 300 acre course, which opened in 2006, is located right on the water in Southampton.  It's close to neighboring golf courses, Shinnecock Hills and National Links. According to a 2006 Bloomberg News article, membership just to golf at Sebonack costs $500,000. The course features holes, 7,286 yards and a par of 72.

Course Designer(s): Jack Nicklaus and Tom Doak

Source: GolfLink.com, Source: GHIN

Shinnecock Hills Golf Course (Southampton, New York)

Wall Streeters Who Have Played There: George Herbert Walker IV (Neuberger Berman), Henry Kravis (KKR), Stan Druckenmiller (Duquesne), Eric Gleacher, Jimmy Dunne III and Chase Coleman. 

Location: Southampton, New York

About: The course features 18 holes, 6,996 yards and a par of 70. Shinnecock is scheduled to host the 2018 U.S. open.

Course Designer: William Flynn

Source: GHIN

Rumor has it that billionaire music producer and film studio exec David Geffen bought an East Hampton compound nestled between the beach and Georgica Pond for $67.5 million, according to real estate blogger The Real Estalker.

The waterfront compound includes four separate lots: one for the 7,500-square-foot house, one for a guest house, and two additional vacant lots. 

Other luxurious amenities of the house include seven bedrooms, two fireplaces, a fitness room, library, and a home office.

The property was listed last April for $75 million by socialite and philanthropist Courtney Sales Ross, wife of the late head of Time Warner, Steven J. Ross.

The expansive compound sits on nearly six acres of land between the beach and Georgica Pond.

The pond front is 481 feet and has a small dock for boats.

Plus, pretty amazing sunset views.

Two years after former art dealer Bernard Goldberg put his 1900s beach house on the market for $40 million, he finally found a buyer.

The property's price had recently dropped to $29.95 million, according to Curbed. The East Hampton "cottage," as Sotheby's describes it in the listing, is currently under contract, though the buyer and sale price are unknown. 

The home sits on 1.25 acres, with 200 feet of direct access to the ocean. In 5,000 square feet, the home has six bedrooms and five bathrooms. There's also a 40-foot by 20-foot pool in the backyard.    

High hedges shield the property on Lily Pond Lane for maximum privacy.

The shingle style beach house still includes original features from when it was built at the turn of the 20th century.

Inside, there's plenty of wall space for a burgeoning art collector to display his wares.

Richard Gere has dropped the price of his North Haven mansion in the Hamptons to $56 million, Hamptons.com reports.

Gere first listed the 6.3-acre estate last summer in July for an outrageous $65 million. At the time, we wondered if the 12-bedroom home was actually worth the stunning price-tag.

The property, known as Strongheart Manor, was built in 1902 and comes with two guest houses, an outdoor fireplace pavilion, and a dock that looks out onto the water. 

It's been renovated and expanded to include twelve bedrooms and over 12,000 square feet of space. The home is currently listed through Sotheby's International Realty, which recently added even more high-quality pictures of the mansion to beef up the listing.

The price cut could help Strongheart Manor sell — especially with the new Hamptons season on the horizon — but considering Gere bought the entire property originally for $11.3 million (not including the cost of his subsequent renovation), $56 million still seems awfully steep.

Welcome to Richard Gere's $56 million Strongheart Manor.

Source: Sotheby's International Realty

It sits on over six acres of land and has covetable views of the ocean.

Source: Sotheby's International Realty

Inside, the home has over 12,000 square feet of space inside with six fireplaces.

Source: Sotheby's International Realty

Billionaire fund manager John Paulson and dozens of other Hamptons homeowners signed a petition protesting the construction of a home that's a "threat" to the character and "peace and tranquility" of their neighborhood, the Wall Street Journal reports.

According to the Journal, the letter writers are upset about a 5,531-square-foot mansion being built on a 1.2-acre piece of property at 483 Hill Street. Their complaint is that the large size and scale of the home doesn't fit with the surrounding homes. 

The house is being constructed by former Wall Street commodities trader-turned-home builder Joe Farrell.

Farrell, who has been dubbed the "King of McMansions" by his critics, has built hundreds of mansions on Long Island. It's a process that some have referred to as the "Farrellization" of the Hamptons. 

Southampton's Board of Historic Preservation & Architectural Review is expected make a decision later the month on the plans for the home. 

Here's a bird's eye shot of the piece of property via Zillow:

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A Hamptons property has just taken the title of "most expensive home ever sold in the U.S."

The 18-acre expanse in East Hampton just sold for $147 million to hedge-fund manager Barry Rosenstein of Jana Partners, according to Curbed Hamptons.

Rosenstein's new neighbors on exclusive Further Lane include Jerry Seinfeld, hedge-fund manager Jim Chanos, and art dealer Larry Gagosian. 

The home was previously owned by the late Christopher H. Browne, the managing director of a New York investment firm who bought it in the late 1990s, according to a 2007 profile in The New York Times. Browne and his partner of 10 years, architect Andrew Gordon, spent much of their time renovating and landscaping the property.

According to Page Six, when Browne died of a heart attack in 2009 in Florida, he left his entire estate to Gordon. However, legal disputes between Gordon’s and Browne’s families raged on until 2012, when Gordon — then dying of cancer — was allowed via a secret settlement to live out the rest of his life in the home he had shared with Browne.

When Gordon passed away this past fall, Browne’s family began quietly shopping around the mansion, according to Page Six. Ultimately, they sold the estate without using a broker, avoiding some serious fees and commissions (which is also why there are no listing photos of the property). 

Sources told The New York Post that brokers in the area were “crestfallen” and “furious” that no broker was hired, with one broker saying that the Browne family “closed ranks. It was all very hush-hush.”

The sale easily beat out Connecticut’s 50-acre Copper Beach farm, which sold a month ago for $120 million, and the $132.5 million working Montana Ranch bought by Rams owner Stan Kroenke in 2012.

SEE ALSO: The 20 Most Expensive Mansions For Sale In Los Angeles

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Fine dining and bottle service are things we can't easily leave behind when leaving our Manhattan skyline for the Hamptons beach air. And why would we want to? 

You can continue to enjoy the high life at your favorite go-to Hamptons hot spots, or try out some of our favorite new finds opening this year.

Every summer, we willingly take the LIRR, The Jitney or the Long Island Expressway and head east until we hit sand.

With only a few week to go until Memorial Day — a.k.a. official beach season — click through to find out what's waiting for you in the Hamptons this year.

Click here to see the bars and restaurants >

BOSTWICK’S CLAMBAKES & CATERING CO.

Where:221 Pantigo Road, East Hampton, NY 11937

About: Bostwick's Chowder House is a local favorite. It offers informal roadside dining that draws in quite the star-studded crowd. Known for their famous lobster rolls and lobster entrees, they are now adding a clambake to the menu, plus a catering option to help you take your summer soiree to the next level.

BAY KITCHEN BAR

Where:39 Gann Road, East Hampton, NY 11937 (Situated adjacent to a marina on Three Mile Harbor)

About: Getting out ahead of the Memorial Day crowd, Bay Kitching Bar opened April 17th and offers not only amazing waterfront views, but also sea-to-table cuisine. Chef-owner Eric Miller and co-owner Richard Silver will seduce your palate with their raw bar menu, small plates and well-curated wine list. 

GEORGICA RESTAURANT & LOUNGE

Where:108 Wainscott Stone Rd, Wainscott, NY 11975

About: If you didn't think it was possible for Georgica to turn up with even more events than last summer, then we are here to prove you wrong! That's right - we have it on good authority that one of the Hamptons prime dining and event-hosting restaurants will be partaking in some really exciting events this summer. 

The weekend we've all been waiting for is finally upon us. Memorial Day Weekend marks the start of summer, and for New Yorkers that means Hamptons season has officially begun.

From Southampton Social Club to Finale East, these summer kickoff parties are a good sign of what the rest of the season has in store for us.

Click through for our official Memorial Day Weekend Hamptons Party Guide, and make sure to look out for us while you're out east this summer!

Click here to see this weekend's hottest parties >

GEORGICA SUMMER 2014 FASHION COLLABORATIONS WITH DKNY, HANNAH BRONFMAN AND WAY IT SHOULD BE

When: Friday May 23-Sunday May 25

Where:Georgica, 108 Stone Rd, Wainscott, NY

Why: Georgica will be celebrating the opening of its sixth summer with a series of weekend events. Georgica will unveil their new menu with Executive Chef Greg Grossman on Friday and will have live performances by DJ Sinatra on Saturday. Finally, the venue will be teaming up with DKNY and Hannah Bronfman on Sunday to host a charity dinner and party benefitting the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund.

[Details]

SOUTHAMPTON SOCIAL MEMORIAL DAY CELEBRATION WITH HEIDI KLUM

When: Saturday, 6-8PM

Where:Southampton Social Club, 256 Elm Street, Southampton, NY

Why: Hamptons Magazine will be celebrating their Memorial Day issue at Southampton Social Club with cover star Heidi Klum. The magainze has teamed up with CÎROC Vodka for the private event with entertainment by DJ Chris Bachmann.

[Details]

1 OAK SOUTHAMPTON LAUNCH PARTY

When: Saturday @11PM

Where:1 OAK Southampton, 124 Tuckahoe Lane, Southampton, NY

Why: The Butter Group will be launching 1 Oak Southampton with a Memorial Day Weekend party this weekend. The club will inevitably bring in A-list celebrities, unique performances and a trendy vibe, similar to the club's NYC location.

[Details]

If you're going to buy in the Hamptons, you might as well go big.

The Pond House by Georgica Pond in East Hampton was recently listed for more than $30 million.

Everything from its high ceilings to the front portico gives the home an "old world meets new world" feel.

And for good reason. The house was originally built by famous "American Renaissance" architect Stanford White over 100 years ago.

But over the past few years, builder Jeffrey Colle renovated, enlarged, and even rotated the home to give it a 21st century update.

Now it's a custom-designed, 12,000-square-foot mansion that includes six bedrooms, a guest cottage, a pool, and media room for a very new-world price tag of $32,950,000.

To get to The Pond House, you drive up a long private driveway, which passes under the home's portico entrance.

Here is a more direct view of the front of the 12,000-square-foot Pond House.

And the 1,800-square-foot guest house, which includes a living room, full kitchen, two bedrooms and bathrooms.

Dreading the drive to the Hamptons this Memorial Day weekend? Uber is looking to make things a little more pleasant.

The car service app is offering a flat rate to Hamptons this weekend, and SUV service between Southampton and Montauk over the holiday. 

Here's the deal:

The flat rates to go to the Hamptons from NYC are $300 for the UberX (seats up to 4), $400 for UberBLACK (seats up to 4) and $500 for UberSUV (seats up to 6). 

Once you're in the Hamptons, UberSUVs are available with a $50 minimum fare ($25 base rate and $2.00 per minute, or $6.50 per mile) between Southampton and Montauk. 

And though it's markedly more expensive than taking the Long Island Rail Road or the Hampton Jitney bus to the Hamptons, which will cost you around $60 round trip, it's still not bad when you think that is the price for avoiding the madhouse of Penn Station.

The company notes that after this weekend, supply in the Hamptons will be limited until the summer officially kicks off. 

No word yet on whether the company will one again offer $3,000 helicopter rides out east this summer.

SEE ALSO: Why The Heck Is Amtrak Still In Business After Losing Money 43 Years Straight?

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For New Yorkers, there's nothing better than escaping the city on a hot summer weekend. But getting out of town is another story.

Anyone who's ever tried to get to the Hamptons on a Friday afternoon knows the traffic on the Long Island Expressway can be hellish, and Long Island Rail Road ticket lines at Penn Station are even worse.

There is, however, another way to hightail it from the city to the Hamptons: by seaplane. Not only is it a quick, 40-minute (or so) hop from the East River seaport to destinations out east, there's no chance of traffic or rowdy neighbors, and the view is pretty spectacular.

There's also the small matter of cost.

Fly The Whale, one of several companies that offers seaplane service in the New York area, charges $3,700 for a 9-person charter flight from Manhattan to East Hampton, and single seats on "shared" charters for $550. The company also flies to Westhampton, Shelter Island, Montauk, and other Hamptons towns.

Last year, I took a Fly The Whale seaplane from Manhattan to Sag Harbor to tour a new luxury condo complex. It sure beat Penn Station at rush hour.

Disclosure: Sag Development Partners, the owners of the Watchcase development in Sag Harbor, paid for my travel expenses.

My trip started from the marina at 23rd Street and the FDR on the East River. I took the subway and walked a few blocks, but if I was a seaplane regular, my limo would have dropped me off here.

The seaplane terminal is pretty nondescript. The corrugated iron building and barbed wire didn't exactly make me feel like a high-roller.

It was just a short walk from the "skyport" to the river. I passed a couple of yachts available for charter: One was being rented for a high school prom that evening.

Smart homes don't have to look futuristic to be high tech. 

This custom-built Tudor home in the Hamptons just hit the market for $3.25 million. It has six bedrooms, six bathrooms, and more tech features than you would expect just by looking at it. 

Inside, there's a host of smart-home technology, including smart thermostats, a remote security system, and lighting control by HAI. There's also a wireless SONOS sound system that divides the home into three different zones.

The home sits on an acre of land in Southampton.

There are several sitting areas inside. Here's one of the home's four fireplaces.

There's another fireplace in the formal dining room.

Click here to see >

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The Kardashian clan will descend on the Hamptons this summer as they tape their E! show "Kourtney & Khloé Take the Hamptons."

The sisters are staying in a Southampton mansion that's currently on sale for $13.9 million, according to E!.

The five-bedroom estate rents for $295,000 from Memorial Day through Labor Day, though no word if the Kardashians got a discount rate.

Our friend Jeff Cully of EEFAS snapped some awesome aerial photos of the home last year, and shared them with us.

This place is seriously secluded, with water on three sides. Even so, the paparazzi should have no problem staking out the property.There are views of North Sea Harbor from most rooms in the home. The house comes with a boat dock and private beach. Not a bad place to spend the summer.

SEE ALSO: Meet The Residents Of 'Billionaire Lane' In The Hamptons

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